#FreeTepVanny-#ដោះ​លែង​ទេព​វន្នី

Courageous community leader, land rights activist and inspirational human rights defender, Ms. Tep Vanny has been imprisoned since 15 August 2016, when she was arrested while protesting for the release of the five. Ms. Vanny is one of the most prominent voices of the Boeung Kak Lake community, which campaigned against the forced eviction of residents living by the lake to make way for a development project.

On 23 February 2017, Ms. Vanny was convicted on previously dormant charges of “intentional violence with aggravating circumstances” that dated back to a 2013 protest. Ms Vanny’s trial failed to comply with minimum fair trial rights standards and her sentence of two and a half years appears to be motivated by a desire to restrict her activism and to send a chilling message to others.

While they may be behind bars, the five and Tep Vanny have not been forgotten.

#FreeThe5KH #ដោះលែងអ្នកទាំង៥ aims to garner support for the detained human rights defenders, to remind them that the public has not forgotten about their cause and to help keep their morale high while they remain in detention.